Powerful White Army Leaders and Gen. Tuach Nyaw Declared Peace with the Government of South Sudan

For Immediate Release
August, 15, 2014
The rebel forces of renegade Gathoth Gatkuoth suffered heavy blow on Thursday when the White Army of Chiewang subsection attacked the rebels at Torpuot Boma. Prior to that, the White Army of Chielang clashed with the rebel forces of Gathoth Gatkuoth on Wednesday and burned down Mandeng, which was the headquarters of the rebels.
It has now become clear to the White Army of Gajiok section of Jikany clan that the rebels of Gathoth Gatkuoth are a marauding force which has currently issued a draconian law of confiscating cattle of the subsections of Gajiok who refused to fight the constitutional army in Nasir town. When renegade Gatkuoth sent forces to take the cattle of Chielang section on Wednesday, he met a fierce resistance which led to the burn down of Mandeng. On Thursday, he attempted to repeat the same thing with Chiewang subsection but was resisted and his forces scattered in the bushes after a fierce battle.
On Thursday afternoon, two powerful leaders of the White Army of Nasir County went to Nasir town and met Brig. Gen. Peter Wiyual Khor, the commander of the SPLA forces in Nasir town. The White Army leaders declared peace with the government and assured the SPLA commander that they would not fight the government forces in Nasir town anymore. The White Army leaders who met Brig. Gen. Peter Wiyual Khor are Hok Door and Jal Bany who head the armed youth of Chie-Nyalieth subsection of Gajiok. The White Army leadership of Chielang subsection already declared their allegiance to the constitutional government of South Sudan when the Paramount Chief called Gov. Simon Kun Puoc on Wednesday and made it abundantly clear to work with the state government to bring peace in the country.
Moreover, on Thursday evening, two messengers of Maj. Gen. Tuach Nyaw, who split from the forces of Gathoth Gatkuoth on Monday, arrived in Nasir town and delivered a message to Brig. Gen. Peter Wiyual Khor. Maj. Gen. Nyaw called for peace in the country and assured the government of South Sudan that he would accept any amnesty offered by the President of the Republic of South Sudan. Gen. Nyaw is now based in Mading Payam with a force of 650.
According to the White Army leaders, the whereabouts of renegade Gathoth Gatkuoth is not yet established after his forces clashed with the White Army of Chiewang on Thursday morning. According to unconfirmed reports from Gambella region of Ethiopia, renegade Gatkuoth is believed to have escaped to Matar town of Ethiopia with slight wound in his right arm. If the suspicion that he escaped to Ethiopia is confirmed by the government of South Sudan, we would petition Ethiopian government for his extradition. However, the presence of Duer Tut Duir (his deputy) in Gambella town is confirmed by the government of South Sudan. The representative of our government in Gambella found him in Gambella General Hospital with a broken leg.
The government of South Sudan will send a delegation to Ethiopia within a week to discuss border security. In 2011, a Border Security Agreement was signed with a purpose of curbing rebel activities at the Ethio-South Sudan border. After Riek Machar’s failed coup of December, 2013, the rebel fighters began to use Gambella General Hospital for treating their wounded combatants. As per the agreement reached with Ethiopian government in 2011, no South Sudan rebel should be allowed to use medical facilities in Ethiopia. Instead, the Ethiopian government is obliged to extradite the rebels to Juba. After two years of the agreement, South Sudan arrested and extradited over thirty Ethiopian rebels to Addis Ababa.
It is the position of the government of South Sudan that the government of Gambella region must arrest Duer Tut Duir and extradite him to Juba as per the agreement of 2011 which was signed in Gambella town by the two countries. Although Ethiopia is not militarily supporting the rebels, the use of medical facilities by the wounded rebel combatants is by itself a violation of border security agreement signed in 2011. Once the wounded rebels are treated, they return to active combat and terrorism to destabilize Upper Nile state. The Ethiopian government has a legal obligation to arrest the wounded rebel combatants and deport them to Juba.
For Contact:
Gen. Gordon Buay
Member of SPLA Other Armed Groups Integration Committee
Washington, D.C.
USA
Email: mailto:[email protected]@hotmail.com